Description:
The
Dictionary Society of North America was formed in 1975
to bring together people interested in dictionary making,
study, collection, and use. Our 500 members who live in
42 countries around the world include people working on
dictionaries, academics who engage in research and writing
about dictionaries, dictionary collectors, librarians,
booksellers, translators, linguists, publishers, writers,
collectors, journalists, and people with an avocational
interest in dictionaries.
The only requirement for membership is an expression
of interest in language, in words, dictionaries and lexicography,
or any combination of these.
Members receive a semi-annual newsletter that gives information
about the Society and its members, dictionaries or lexicographic
research in progress or recently published, lexicography
courses and workshops, and recent or forthcoming conferences
of lexicographic interest. Once a year they also receive
the journal Dictionaries, containing forums on issues
in lexicography; articles or notes and queries on the
making, critique, use, collection, and history of dictionaries,
including sketches of lexicographers; descriptions of
significant dictionary collections; reviews of dictionaries
and books on lexicography or closely related topics; and
bibliographies on various aspects of lexicography. A membership
directory is published every few years. Other occasional
publications are issued. Members are entitled to free
classified advertising in the newsletter once a year.
Memberships are for the calendar year, January through
December.
Current annual dues (calendar year) for regular members
or institutions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico
are still only $30, non-North America $40; for students
and retired members in North America $20, others $30.
See our Membership Form and Dues Schedule. New members
(non-institutional) receive a Directory of Members and
current issues of the newsletter and journal. We invite
you to join us!
We meet every other year to make or renew acquaintance
with other lexicophiles and to present and hear papers
about dictionaries. We have met in Terre Haute, Indiana;
Urbana, Illinois; London, Ontario; Cincinnati, Ohio; Newark,
Delaware; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
Cleveland, Ohio; Columbia, Missouri; Las Vegas, Nevada;
Madison, Wisconsin; Berkeley, California; Ann Arbor, Michigan
(in connection with the celebration of the completion
of the Middle English Dictionary, the first fascicle of
which was published in 1952); and Durham, North Carolina.
The 2005 Meeting was held in Boston June 9 - 11, in connection
with Boston University. The next DSNA Biennial meeting
will be held June 13-16, 2007, in Chicago, in conjuction
with the University of Chicago. See below for more information.
The Dictionary Society of North America was founded by
participants in a colloquium entitled "Research on
the History of English Dictionaries" held at Indiana
State University, in Terre Haute, Indiana, on May 20-21,
1975. As stated in its handbook, "The purpose of
the Society is to foster scholarly and professional activities
relating to dictionaries" (defined as lists of words
or other vocabulary items, with information about their
meaning or other linguistic properties). "The Society
shall carry out its stated purpose by promoting the exchange
of information and ideas among members through meetings,
research projects, publications (such as a newsletter,
a journal, bibliographies, directories) and any other
means it may deem appropriate."